


O Children

by chaoticamanda



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Angst, F/M, Fake AH Crew, Fake AH Crew AU, Friendship, GTA V AU, Heist AU, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Juggey - Freeform, Los Santos, M/M, Pregnancy, fake ah au, jones squared, pregnant!lindsay, rayvin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-12 19:52:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2122596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticamanda/pseuds/chaoticamanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they talked about the infamous Fake Achievement Hunter Crew, they never talked about how the leader took care of them all. They never talked about how the six of them never left anyone behind. They never talked about how it came to matter that they were friends before anything else. They especially never talked about how six of the city’s more questionable criminals came together to form an unbreakable crew- till death do them part.</p>
<p>And so it did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Come With Me Now

When they talked about the infamous Fake Achievement Hunter Crew, they never talked about how the leader took care of them all. They never talked about how the six of them never left anyone behind. They never talked about how it came to matter that they were friends before anything else. They especially never talked about how six of the city’s more questionable criminals came together to form an unbreakable crew- till death do them part.

And so it did.

 

* * *

  

The day Ray Narvaez got the call that his father had died in a “freak accident” was the same day that Gavin Free got kicked out by his roommate. Ray was on his way to the hospital to be with his mother, but his car was back in the shop, forcing him to take the subway. Gavin was just riding it around the city, overwhelmed by his newfound freedom and his lack of places to go in a time where he could’ve gone anywhere.

When Gavin hopped on, there weren’t many people that interested him. None of them were particularly pickpocket-worthy, so he leaned back and enjoyed the ride, waiting for some pricier riders to come along. Mid-day was about the time all the snooty business people boarded, apparently too high and mighty to be grouped with the other people on the train, but low enough to still ride it. After two stops and some shuffling, the sandy-haired man took notice of a skinny man huddled in the corner, elbows on his knees and hands cradling his face. Something about him looked familiar, but Gavin saw a lot of people every day, so he shrugged it off.

The man stayed for another stop, and a red-haired woman with a particularly large and open purse hanging by her waist stepped between them. Gavin stood, swaying with the train for a moment before sliding behind the woman, acting as if he meant to reach the other side of the car. “‘Scuse me, love.” She never noticed his hand brush in and out of her purse.

The tanned man in the corner didn’t move when Gavin plopped down next to him and spread his arms out on the backs of the seats. The man didn’t look up, but he spoke just loud enough that he knew Gavin would hear and no one else would, “I won’t hesitate to shoot you if you try and pickpocket me like you just did that woman. I’m having a bad day and I’m not in the mood for a prick to make it worse.”

Shocked, Gavin leaned forward, trying to look into the face of the man, “You’re a sharp one, aren’t you? Not to worry, you little sausage, you look piss poor to me.”

“You’d be surprised,” the man sighed, finally sitting up. His eyes were tired, but he was still young. Gavin estimated that the man was probably the same age as himself. “Convenience stores pay a bit more than you’d think.” They both knew that he wasn’t talking as an employee.

“Not my cup of tea,” the other man reclined and grinned at the top of the tube, his dark sunglasses sliding up his nose.

“Neither is vagina,” Ray muttered, before looking up at the well-dressed man, “I’m Ray.”

“Gavin,” the namesake answered softly. “Maybe we’ll see each other again, Ray,” he said as the man rose from his seat. Gavin always liked to have a handle on all of the other criminals in Los Santos.

“Maybe,” Ray grinned, in spite of himself. “Maybe we’ll get the take of a lifetime, you and me.”

“Maybe,” Gavin laughed gently, watching as Ray flicked his purple hood onto his head and huddled out with the rest of the passengers.

 

* * *

 

 

“I don’t give a damn about what you _think_ happened, I _know_ what happened!” Geoff’s shouts could be heard through two rooms as he paced around his office. “Look, I don’t owe you any fucking money! I’m the fucking shark here, not you.”

_“You’ve got three weeks to sharpen up and get my money back to me. Two million. Anything less and you will not get out of this. You hear me?”_

The man on the other end of the phone hung up before Geoff could rebuttal and he swore into the receiver. _“Fuck. Fuck!”_

He’d dealt with assholes before, even incredibly powerful assholes, but most of them were too much of a pussy to actually follow through on threats. Geoff had some enemies, most that he couldn’t give half a shit about, but he’d rather not have this one.

A slender blond woman strode in, tattoos covering her arms and her heels clacking against the hardwood floor of her husband’s office. “What the hell are you yelling about?”

Geoff looked Griffon straight in the eyes, sighing, “We need to get a crew.”

 

* * *

  

If someone needed something done that wasn’t exactly _legal_ , Craigslist was your place to go. You had to be smart about it though, if you really wanted the right people. Those right people knew what to look for and those that didn’t could be sought out. Geoff knew what he needed; expendable people, people who would do anything for a large take, people who wouldn’t question their motives.

 

* * *

  

The building towered over Michael’s head and he took a moment to admire its height, wondering what it must be like to live so high you could see everything in the city. After a moment or two of reverie, Michael looked down at the small piece of paper with the address written on it, “Apartment 12…”

When he made his way up to the door with the corresponding number, he pressed his ear to it and listened before knocking. All he could hear were the muffled sounds of people talking, but he couldn’t make out any of the words. _Fuck it._ Three knocks later the door was opened and a bearded man is revealed, calling back to someone deeper in the apartment. “I got it, Geoff!”

Michael pursed his lips, taking in the stranger. His hair and his beard were both an orange tint, though his hair was a darker red and his belly protruded quite a bit through the door frame. “Which one are you?” The man looked Michael up and down as well, his large hand still clutching the door.

“Which one?” Michael spat, rolling his eyes at the ceiling, “I’m Mogar, and you are?” 

“I’m the Pit,” the man sighed, letting his arm fall so Michael could enter.

“I didn’t know the theme was WWE, Mr. Pit,” Michael scoffed, pushing past the Pit and striding into the apartment.

"Like Mogar is any better," Jack muttered, closing the large oak door. Then louder he called, "My friends call me Jack."

"Are we friends?" Michael asked, smirking to himself as he followed the hallway down to the end, "Jack?"

The hallway lead to a large, expansive kitchen where a man and a woman were bent over an island, discussing something. They were both attractive and both littered with tattoos, but the man had circles under his eyes and a picturesque handlebar mustache. Neither of them looked up when Jack and Michael entered but Geoff offered a small harrumph.

There were more knocks on the door and Jack went to greet the visitors, leaving Michael standing awkwardly in the kitchen with the man and the woman. Finally, after shifting his weight a few times, he asked, “So...what is this?”

“This is your new boss's kitchen," Geoff answered without looking up. "My name is Geoff, this is my wife, and you've already met Jack. We're waiting for three more, well, less than that when Jack brings them back here."

Michael was silent once more as he waited for Jack to come back with the rest of this crew. He was still  unsure about whether this job, this crew, was going to be worth  it. Lindsay had been supportive when he had brought it up, but he knew that it bothered her. If he could have, he would have gotten out for her. But they weren’t in a good enough place where he could support them and the baby they were expecting as an electrician with crappy tasks.

Two more men entered with Jack, one tall and muscled and the other almost a head shorter with a purple sweatshirt. “This is Ryan,” Jack gestured to the taller man, “and this is Brown Man.”

“Brown Man?” Michael scoffed, raising an eyebrow at the man across from him.

“Puerto rican is a form of brown,” he grinned, leaning against the counter. Geoff finally looked up, an arm curling around Griffon’s waist.

He peered at the ragtag group in front of him and murmured, “We’re waiting for one more and then we can start.”

“Is it...safe to discuss our plans here?” Ryan crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows, and Geoff rolled his eyes.

“Nobody’s going to hear anything. Besides, we need to test your abilities to work as a team before we pull the grand heist, so what we plan here is just going to be small scale,” Griffon answered folding her arms as well.

“Are you our other leader?” Ray asked, itching his eyebrow as he tilted his head to the left. He didn’t particularly care, but he felt he should know what he was getting into. Money was the only reason he was here. His father’s funeral had left a crater in his mother’s bank account and he needed some extra cash.

“I am control,” Griffon answered, and her smile struck Michael as predatory. Before she could elaborate, the final guest arrived and Jack went to escort him back to the kitchen where everyone waited in silence.

“Ray?” the new man exclaimed in a thick English accent, pushing past Jack and peering into Ray’s face.

“G-Gavin?” Brown Man was clearly shocked as well, and he began to laugh loudly, a hand splaying across his stomach.

“You two know each other?” Ryan asked, suspicion igniting behind his eyes.

“I met this bloody mug on the tube three days ago!” Gavin exclaimed, disbelief ringing through his piercing voice, “He caught me lifting some bird’s purse.”

Michael, unlike the others lounging around the kitchen, was not amused. He was serious about this. He didn’t pickpocket women on the street, he carried a gun and made money so they could get by. The irritated man stepped between Gavin and Ray, barking, “What the fuck is this? I was told that we were going to be taking some serious cash, that this scheme was fucking _business!_ Yet you’ve got a pickpocket, some muscle, a fucking beard and a skinny little prick all giggling together in a kitchen?” Michael’s voice left the room silent, smiles slid from everyone’s faces, “What exactly the fuck is this?” he spat at Geoff.

“This is a _crew,”_ Geoff answered, his voice steely, “I wasn’t lying when I said I had a big job that would leave us all rich as dicks. Before we get to that though, I need to know that you all, that we all, can work together as a team. As a _crew.”_

Griffon stepped forward, her voice smooth as she spoke loud enough for all of them to hear, “Crews ride together, crews die together, but most importantly they work together. The five of you were chosen for a reason. Geoff and I believe that the seven of us could pull of a heist upwards of five million total, but first we’ll do a little... _pretest_ of sorts. We’ll plan here tonight and tomorrow we’ll all meet behind the dump south from here. Now can we get started? The sooner we get this small job out of the way, the sooner we can move onto the take of your sorry lifetimes.” Ray’s eyes flicked to Gavin’s, but he was too distracted to notice.

Gavin looked thoughtful from a stool he has settled on next to the bar, wary of Michael. “I’ve just got kicked out of my apartment, and I’m losing my buddy’s couch tonight. I dunno if I’ll be able to get there, or even where I’ll be starting from.”

“Easy,” Griffon replied, bending over their map once again, “You can stay here.”

 

* * *

 

The apartment was dark when Michael finally returned home, but she was still waiting for him in the bedroom. The little lamp on her side of the bed cast their room in a soft orange glow, just light enough for her to read the printed words in her book. After he slid out of his heavy, dark boots and shimmied out of his pants and shirt, he crawled in next to her, letting out a huge sigh. His fingers trailed up and down her stomach, making her smile.

 “How’d it go?” Lindsay asked, her voice soft and comforting. One of her favorite things to do was run her fingers through Michael’s thick, curly hair, and he’d never admit out loud that he loved it.

“Alright,” he answered just as quietly, closing his eyes. After a minute he murmured, “I don’t have to do it, Linds.”

She closed her eyes as well, setting the hand that wasn't skirting through Michael's hair, "I think you do, Michael."

"I wish I didn't," he whispered. They were both silent for a minute or two before he changed the subject, "What happened today?"

"Well..." he could hear the excited grin in her voice as she spoke, "We should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat through a stethoscope now. That's about it for them, mostly its just me getting fatter and grosser," she grimaced.

"You're not fat," he answered, "You're growing a fucking baby, you ain't gonna be stick-thin."

Lindsay laughed softly, looking up at the cream ceiling as she covered Michael's hand with her own, both of them ghosting across the bump of her abdomen. Another thing she loved about him besides his unruly hair was the way his accent would slip out here and there. "I'm growing a baby that's gonna come out swearing in a jersey accent."

"Damn fucking straight," Michael grinned, lifting up the covers and snuggling up to both Lindsay and the pillows. She turned off the the small lamp, the only light left emanating from the alarm clock on Michael's side. His arm slung over her and fit snugly between her breasts and could comfortably lay under her head.

His life had changed drastically when they’d met. She’d come from a happy, loving family, but his had always had it’s problems. Michael had been on a one-way track to both Hell and jail, though maybe those were the same thing. He’d never been into drugs, but he’d hung around with people who were and those people often got desperate when they were lacking their product. Michael had been a sort of gun for hire, although he mostly beat people within an inch of death, rarely sending anyone to the actual threshold. He did carry a gun, and he did know how to use it, but more often than not it was just a prop to threaten and occasionally clock someone with.

But when he’d met Lindsay one day outside of a coffee shop, she’d been a student at the local university and he’d been watching for a target. She’d commented on his tattoos and he’d grinned in spite of himself. Michael had found himself visiting that shop much more often than he’d needed to. He hadn't meant to fall for her; he'd never wanted to drag someone else down into his dark little hole. They’d been engaged since then, after two years of dating, and it had been a surprise when she’d gotten pregnant. He'd never call it a mistake. 

Lindsay was one of the strongest women Michael knew, but he’d never seen her more scared than when she’d told him. It had hurt, but he’d understood. He could get angry quickly, but he didn’t ever think he’d get legitimately angry at Lindsay. She’d taken him from Hell and given him some sort of Heaven and he would never be able to repay her. These last three years had been arguably the best of his life, but tomorrow it could all end. Tomorrow he’d have to shoot and hope for the best. Tomorrow he really might not ever come back to Lindsay with a beating heart.

Tomorrow was going to be a long fucking day.


	2. Berzerk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end never seems all that horrible at first, right?

In Los Santos, robberies were far from uncommon; for some stores it was almost a weekly occurrence. More often than not, the robbers ended up six feet under, courtesy of the cashiers they’d tried to rob. Many carried guns, though some claimed that nonviolence was the way to go. Usually, they were the ones who lost the most money.

It was a Sunday morning when two shop-keeps from stores a block apart took note of a white van rolling into parking lot and backing into a spot so that they were almost touching the store. The first store, which sold mainly liquor and tobacco, was one of those that wouldn’t hesitate to take out a threat. Therefore, the cashier on duty for that shift touched his fingertips to his twelve gauge shotgun, just as a precaution. If he could have known that an identical white van was parked a block over, maybe he would have gripped it- he’d been in this game for a while, after all. The second store had recently opened, and was just your average convenience store with products on the shelf ranging from crunchy cheese snacks to rat poison.

When the digital clocks in the audio system of the vehicles flicked to 7:25, four men stepped out of two different vans. The first store was hit by Geoff Ramsey and Ryan Haywood, though the team was all wearing matching outfits and masks, so no one’s identity would be found out all that easily. The cashier reached for his shotgun when he saw the two masked men enter, but Ryan’s draw was quicker.

“Don’t,” he grinned.

On the other side of the block, Michael and Ray had entered discretely. This store was set up so that the view of the door was partially blocked with displays and shelves, and Michael grinned in spite of himself. This was going to be easy. A woman was at the register, and she froze when she saw both of the masked men. “We’re gonna make this easy for you,” Ray began, pulling out his handgun, “Empty the fucking register and you can live.”

Gavin and Jack had both slipped into the driver’s seats of their vans, meant to keep the engines idling until the other’s got back.

“Let’s go, you can go fucking faster than that,” Geoff snarled at the cashier, who was deliberately taking his time.

“Come on lady, let’s go, let’s go,” Michael sighed, glancing at the clock behind the terrified woman. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but Michael felt no sympathy. She was lucky, because others who would have robbed the place would have given her a worse fate than this.

“If you don’t hurry the fuck up, we’ll fuckin’ shoot you and just get the money ourselves,” Ryan smirked, at ease. He’d been in plenty of situations where he was behind a gun threatening someone before.

The man, whose nametag read _‘Allen’_ finished dumping the last of the cash, and glared at both of the men in front of him. “Fuck you,” he spat at them, eyes darting around the store suspiciously.

“H, let’s roll,” Geoff grabbed the bag and turned on his heel, but the cashier took a chance and dove for his own gun while Geoff’s back was turned. A shot exploded from the thin barrel of Ryan’s gun, it’s sound a sharp hiss instead of the usual roar due to the silencer Ryan had prepared.

“I told you not to,” Ryan said to the dead man sliding onto the floor.

The woman at the other store screamed at the gunshot, and even Ray’s eyes widened. Michael had learned to keep his cool when anything unexpected happened, and so he gestured for her to hurry up with his gun. “Oh God, oh god, please- please don’t kill me…”

A horn sounded outside just as the woman had finished, and she backed away from them with her shaking hands raised. “Let’s go, Brown Man, hussle up.”

Ray waved at the woman on the way out, smiling beneath his peach mask. Geoff and the others were waiting next to Gavin, who had the van prepped and ready. Michael heard sirens in the distance and rolled his eyes. The Los Santos PD had a slower response time than Mike’s Pizzeria, which was run by the oldest men Michael knew.

Jack sped off and Gavin followed him, clipping the curb on the way out. Michael eyed him suspiciously, but shimmied next to Ray in the back and peered into the sack. “How much?”

“Counting now,” he answered, just before Gavin’s cell went off.

“Don’t forget where we’re going,” Geoff told them all, his voice projected on the speaker, “We’ll talk when we get there.”

“Got it!” Gavin called, swerving the van haphazardly around a corner. Michael held onto his seat a little tighter after that. By the time they’d reached the highest point on Mount Chilead, Michael and Ray were both ready to fling themselves out and kiss the ground.

“ _He_ is _never_ driving again,” Michael said matter-of-factly to Geoff, pointing at Gavin. Geoff rolled his eyes, holding his mask in his hand.

“Alright, Gents and Lads, we pulled it off. Our count was just under a k, what’d you guys pull?” Geoff looked to Ray, who grinned to himself.

“Twelve hundred, those new stores are always so naive,” Ray responded cheerfully.

Gavin whooped and punched the air, and even Geoff’s handlebar mustache twitched, but he was still serious, “Alright, so that’s like three-fifty each. Good job everybody, but don’t get cocky. We’ve still gotta work around a few more things before the big one.”

“How are we gonna dispose of the vans?” Jack asked, his arms crossed. “We can’t just push them off of a mountain, that’s sloppy.”

“We’re out in the fucking boonies, man. No one’s gonna find ‘em, or even look for them, actually,” Michael answered, his focus shifting. An extra three hundred and fifty dollars was good, real good. He figured he’d make a trip to the store after this, just to surprise Lindsay.

“Nah, we’ll push one and burn the other. Gavin, you can blow it up, the rest of us will push. After that, I’m out of here and so is Gavin…” Geoff looked up at them all as he divvied out the money, letting a slow smile spread lopsidedly across his face for the first time, “Feel free to join us at a celebratory barbecue tonight at my place.”

 

* * *

 

Los Santos PD was a place rookies from around the country dreamed about, and Matt was no exception. He didn’t know that crime was enacted by the hands of his colleagues and his local deli manager and even his neighbor before he got here, and he never expected to be in such a place of chaos. Matt hoped it was more than a pipe dream, but as the new Chief of Police, he hoped to turn it all around for this city.

He started with the robberies on South Germain and Hally Ave. Matt gathered a small group of his detectives and began to fill them in on the situation, ignoring their bored sighs and pity laughs.

“Look guys, two stores a block or two apart were hit at the same time. That kinda thing takes planning; we don’t even know the full story. The woman working at the time gave descriptions that match the looks of the three men on the security tape at the other store. She claims that it was around seven twenty-five, but there’s no way both robberies could have occurred them when you take in traveling distance-”

“That’s all well and good, but what does that have to do with us?” A short, blond man leaned forward, his hand supporting his head.

“What does- you’re detectives!” Matt spluttered, “It’s your job to protect these people getting _murdered!”_

“Is it, though?” This time it was a dark-haired woman who looked equally as bored. “The stores in this city know the risk. Los Santos has the highest rate of crime _ever._ Of all _time.”_

Matt stared blankly at his workers, wondering how and why the hell he had ever dreamed of getting anything done here.

 

* * *

 

Two hours later, only Shawcross and Eberle remained to help Matt, for which he was grateful. Kara, a short, blond woman, was determined to set him straight though. "Look, Chief Hullum, robberies are more common than birds around here, so one robbery isn't worth wasting all of your effort." When Matt made to interject, she held up a finger, " _But_ , a man was murdered and two robberies a block away could be something more. Or...it could be nothing, okay? All I'm asking is that you keep that in mind."

"I will," he said eagerly, setting photos of the crime scene down. "Now, I've been looking at the different shots and trying to find a place where we could get our first footing. One of the men, and we can tell they’re men by the backs of their heads and their builds, had the same build as supposed hitman Ryan Haywood. That girl’s been brought in and I’ll be in with her to find out more, but can either of you add anymore at this time?”

Kerry leaned forward, his thumb and forefinger on his chin, “Why would they kill the one guy, but not the girl?”

“Maybe something about the girl hit one of their sympathy pressure points and they didn’t want to feel the guilt?” Kara suggested, peering at the blurry security pictures.

“That could be it,” Matt agreed, tapping his finger on one of the photos. “I’m going to test the Haywood theory still, any other ideas?”

When Matt finally made his way to the interrogation room, an hour had passed, but they’d come across nothing solid. He put his hope in the witness, hoping she could have something more. She sat across from him looking tired and stressed, and he smiled quickly at her, “Thank you for coming in, Miss...Dunkleman.”

She only nodded, clutching her arm and letting out a deep breath. “I’m only going to take half an hour of your time, tops. Now, you said that two men entered your store around 7:30?” She nodded again. “What happened after that? What did they say?”

“They said...he said that they were going to make it easy for me. If I gave them the money, they wouldn’t- they wouldn’t…” The woman could not continue, and instead she stared at the table intensely.

“Okay...okay, thank you. I know this must be hard...but you heard both of their voices, right?” At her nod, he pulled out a small laptop, “Did this sound like either of the voices?” He asked hopefully.

The clip only played the phrase, “You’ve pissed off the wrong people.”

 _“No,”_ she said certainly, “Neither of them sounded like that.”

Matt deflated, half-heartedly asking her, “Well, did you hear anything else? Anything could help us at this point.”

The woman stared at the corner for a moment, and then she said quietly, “I heard the shot.”

“What?” Matt leaned forward, confused.

“I heard that man get shot,” she choked out forcefully.

“Wait...you mean while they were in your store?” The hope that had trickled down into Matt’s stomach began to rise back up to his chest again, his fists clenching in anticipation.

“Yes…?” Miss Dunkleman was confused now, “They left like right after that, but we all heard it.”

“Son of a bitch,” Matt smacked the table with a grin.

 

* * *

 

For the second time Michael found himself marveling at the height of Geoff’s building, only this time Lindsay was beside him. “We don’t have to go, you know. This is your last chance to back out,” Michael informed her softly.

“I want to know the people you’re working with,” she said firmly. They both could hear what she wasn’t saying. “Besides, I’ve been craving barbecue for forever,” she added with a small smile.

Michael felt another surge of warmth for her. Together they made their way up to the apartment, holding hands when they entered.

“Mi-cool, you made it!” Gavin exclaimed, stressing Michael’s name heavily with his accent. “And who’s this lovely lady?”

Lindsay’s smile was forced, but Gavin’s wasn’t. “I’m Lindsay, Michael’s my fiancee.”

“Nice to meet you, Lindsay,” Gavin smiled, winking at Michael. “Everybody’s basically in here. Geoff’s grilling as we speak.”

Michael glanced around the room, nodding at Jack but leading Lindsay over to Ray. “‘Sup, guys?” Ray grinned, lounging back in his chair. “You show up for the free food too?”

Lindsay laughed despite the tension and it made Michael grin as well. He had a feeling that Ray would be an actual friend to them. They were all silent for half a beat, Lindsay looking for someplace to sit with a hand resting on her stomach. Ray jumped up and pulled over a chair next to his and patted it for her to sit down.

“Thank you,” she said with relief, easing herself down heavily into the chair. Their baby had Michael’s temper sometimes and refused to make things easy for his mother.

“No problem,” Ray answered sincerely, “Michael, where are your fucking manners? Introduce us!”

Michael laughed, rolling his eyes, “My manners must be on the run with yours, dickhead. This is my fiancee, Lindsay.”

“Cool, cool. I’m the fabulous Ray, I’m sure you’ve heard of me,” Ray smirked, leaning  back in his chair again.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ray,” Lindsay said softly. She meant it. These people didn’t seem so bad.

“Michael, you want a drink?” Gavin called from the kitchen, his shout accompanied by the clink of glasses.

“Hang on,” Michael called back, turning to Lindsay and tilting his head, "You want anything, hun?"

"Water's fine," she nodded, a hand skimming over her stomach. Despite her initial tension, she felt more at ease now; like she wasn't about to dine with her future husband's partners in crime- literally. 

"Yo, me too," Ray held up his hand. At Michael's look he shrugged, "I don't drink." 

Michael left the two of them to join Gavin and Jack in the kitchen adjacent to the large, open living room. The awkwardness began to leak in once more and Lindsay let out  deep breath, staring intensely at the lines between the tiles on the floor. She could hear Michael's loud guffaw in the kitchen and craned her neck towards the room, her lips pulling to one side. This house was so elegant and glossy that it looked like it was straight out of a magazine. Lindsay knew it was something that she and Michael would never be able to achieve. Ray's voice made her jump, "So you're pregnant?"

Lindsay gave him a look and he laughed at his own stupidity, but still pressed, "Obviously you are, but like, what's the deal? How far along are you?"

"Twenty-one weeks," she answered hesitantly, her fingers pulling anxiously at her grey sweater. It felt too personal, but she was mostly unsure. Obviously having a husband that was a criminal had never been her fantasy when she was little, but she knew that it was not his fantasy either. Michael had been born into it, and so he knew how to conduct himself at things like this, but she didn't. Lindsay felt like an idiot among alumni, and it made her shrink back inside herself. 

Ray counted with his fingers before answering, "Oh, cool, so you have like...six months left?"

"Hopefully..." Lindsay's response was awkward and she felt her cheeks heat up. She was hyper-aware of the shiny glass coffee table in front of them and of Michael's faraway voice in the kitchen. A heavy oak door slamming to a close across the room made her jump again, a hand flying to the crest of her stomach. A sharp blonde woman was standing across the room from them, and though the woman was short, she was doubly intimidating. Lindsay noticed that even Ray averted his eyes as the woman walked over and that did nothing to comfort the pregnant woman. 

"Hello, I'm Griffon...you are?" Griffon's voice was sweet, but Lindsay felt that someone so well put-together and beautiful could not be trustworthy. She felt like a candle next to a bonfire- a super threatening and spitting bonfire. 

"Lindsay Tuggey...Michael's fiancee," Lindsay answered, extending her hand to shake Griffon's. Her father had raised her with the policy that manners always counted. 

"Oh....Mogar's..? Yes, that's him. Nice.." Lindsay felt stupid and childish when Griffon spoke, as if Lindsay was a small child. Their awkward exchange was ceased by Michael's return, who led her to the kitchen for her water and food. Geoff happily seated them all in a large dining room through a large, decorative archway from the kitchen. 

"Eat up, ladies and gentlemen, we're celebrating a victory today," Geoff seemed almost comically different to Michael; his seriousness melting away. Geoff held Griffon's hand for most of the meal as they ate, stroking the top of it with his thumb. Lindsay slyly observed them the whole time, touched by their obvious love. They were neither dependent nor estranged from each other, but were happily sitting in the middle of what a healthy relationship should be. 

"Geoff, this steak is delicious!" Gavin looked enthusiastic over a piece of meat, which made Ray grin to himself before he agreed as well. 

"Aw, thanks guys, it means a lot," Geoff seemed sarcastic, but Lindsay thought she heard genuine satisfaction somewhere in there. The four men laughed as they ate, all but Lindsay and Ray drinking alcohol. By the time three guests were shuffling out of the apartment, Michael was pleasantly buzzed and happier than he thought he could've been. Lindsay was quiet in the car, but every time he looked over at her, she smiled at him. 

"Are you a'ight, hun?" He asked, a smile creeping into his voice despite his seriousness. He knew that she disliked this lifestyle and he knew that despite whatever she said she'd always be at least a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah" Her response was authentic, and it even surprised herself at the truth of her words, "Everything...just has been better than expected, I think." 

Even with the small buzz that Michael had, he could not stop the errant  _"For now, at least,"_ from rerooting itself into his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's quite obvious that I just can't update this every other week, especially now that I'm participating in the Rooster Teeth Secret Santa and writing my own work that I intend to publish. I'm going to try to update super soon, but out of sight out of mind sort of comes into play. Comments really motivate me, so if you're especially antsy, maybe do that and the chapter may be up quicker!! Thanks for the support!! 
> 
> Berzerk-Eminem


	3. Geronimo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geronimo- Sheppard.

The dawn that ignited the city of Los Santos a week later was met by the usual drunken shouts and distant gunshots, however, eight people were scattered around their office, ready to douse the light out. They never met in a nice neighborhood, a choice made by the leader of the gang. They never met in the middle of the day, or in the evening; those were the most suspicious times of the day.

A man with short, dark hair sat on the top of a metal desk with his elbows on his knees. He faced the small gathering of people, who were all silent and watching him closely.

“Any news?” the man asked quietly, scratching under his chin as he waited for an answer.

“There’s a new gang coming round. They’re not great, but I think their stupidity could be a threat to us.” A supporter from the back spoke just as softly as the man had.

“Ah…” The man grinned, “Our old buddies on the LSPD are investigating them?”

“I am,” the supporter answered, “The other two on my _“team”_ are clueless.”

“Good, good,” The man paused for a few moments before nodding, “Keep tabs on this case. You’ve always been a good insider, I doubt you’ll fail now.”

“Thanks, Kdin,” the supporter grinned, turning to the person next to them. “Miles has some news too.”

The man called Miles smirked at his friend and leaned forward, turning his gaze to Kdin. “We’ve received some, ah, beta...weapons if you catch my drift. Our correspondent shipped ‘em last week and they’re due at the dock today.”

“Ooh, fun,” Kdin leaned forward as well, giving his full attention to Miles. “Pick them up and bring em to the Underground Meetup. You know, maybe we’ll get to test some out.”

The sinister grin on their leader’s face made some of the gang uneasy, but they trusted in him regardless. He had saved them all at one point or another, and together they could all rule Los Santos. For the most part, they already did.

 

* * *

  
  


“Just get on with it, you pansy!” Gavin whispered forcefully from his place behind a bush. Ray and Jack were crouched next to him, the former taking deep breaths. “We haven’t got all day!”

Ray rolled his eyes, rolling his head so that he was facing Gavin. “I need to concentrate. Jack...are you ready?”

Jack nodded, his iphone held carefully between his thumb and forefingers. “As soon as you’re ready, I’m rolling. Gavin’s got our getaways around the corner. You can do it, Ray.”

“Fuckin’ thanks,” Ray breathed looking up at the sky. This could be his final moment on Earth. “You swear you’ve got getaways?”

“Absolutely! Three bikes rearin’ and ready to go!” Gavin peeked over the edge of the bush impatiently, “Come on, Ray!”

“Fuck...fuck, okay.” Ray moved into position and gave Jack a signal, causing the man to push a button on his screen. Ray took off running from out of the bush and onto the lawn of the house they had been hiding outside of. He just had to…

Ray reached the door and slammed his hand into the doorbell, backing up a few steps. He could hear Gavin giggling behind him and cursed his inability to deny a bet. He waited for thirty-seconds and when the door began to open, he shrieked, “Tell your mom she left her panties at my house last night, princess protein!” and began to run. He could hear Gavin squawking now and Jack had moved his iphone so that he was holding it with one hand.

“Get the fuck back here!” A deep voice called after Ray, Blaine Gibson’s feet pounding after Ray’s. Ray hopped over the bush in a moment of agility he almost stopped to admire, but he stumbled to a stop when he saw the three bicycles Gavin was wheeling.

“Gavin, what the fuck!” Ray panted, looking back to see Blaine slowly coming closer. “You said you had getaways!”

“It’s just a bike, Ray, come on! That meathead’s catching up!” Gavin was pushing his bike off of the ground and sliding over it.

“It’s a _bicycle!”_ Ray began to raise his hands, his eyes darting to the alley next to them and calculating his chance of an escape on foot.

“What’s the bloody difference?” Gavin yelled as Jack pulled up next to him, ready to take off.

“I can’t _ride_ a fucking bicycle!”

 

* * *

 

 

“Jesus, Ray, what happened to your face?” Geoff asked from his spot on his couch. The suit had disappeared and he was clad in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with the logo of some obscure band on it. Gavin was sitting next to Geoff, an Xbox controller in his hand.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Ray sent a glare towards Gavin and made his way into the kitchen. “You got ice or something?”

“Not for free,” Geoff called back at him, swaying as he mashed the buttons on his controller. “These are hard times, y’know.”

Ray scoffed, opening the freezer and taking out a few ice cubes to wrap in a paper towel. “Where is everybody? I thought you wanted to meet today.”

“Jack had to go pick up his wife from the airport, but he said he’ll be back soon.” Gavin called backwards, struggling to keep his character alive. The front door opened and Michael walked in, Ryan not too far behind him. In half an hour Jack had arrived and the six of them were sitting around the coffee table.

“Now, I heard from a guy who knows a guy that a weapons shipment just arrived fresh in Los Santos, and there are some people out there who would pay a pretty price for them,” Geoff said, bent over a map. The upper corner of Los Santos was circled in red marker.

“Where exactly are these weapons? And who do they belong to?” Michael asked, his fingers interlocked as he leaned forward to get a closer look.

“There’s a little beach up in North Chumash where a little “get-together” is scheduled. The weapons belong to some gang, but we should be able to get them out easy-peasy. Any questions?” Geoff looked around at the crew members, his eyebrows raised.

Michael kept his concerns to himself, shoving down the images of all the things could go wrong. It was true that gangs in Los Santos were common, and usually comprised of young white people trying to be cool. Few of them were actually legitimate, and those were the players who were organized and didn’t mess around with the low-level people like the six of them. Still, people were stupid and accidents could happen.

“Stop by Ammu-nation, get what you need and then get back here by six at the latest. You’ve got six hours people, and our little excursion should have you home before nine. Now get out of my house, I’ve got a meeting.” Geoff threw his controlled down, stretching. Michael nodded and made for the door with Jack. Gavin and Ray both stood as well, but Ryan continued to lean against the wall.

“You coming Ryan?” Gavin called back at him, holding the door open for the man. Ryan only shook his head. “Oh...alright, then. Ray wait up!”

 

* * *

 

 

Matt spent the better part of his day staring at the white board littered with fuzzy photos of crime scenes and suspects, trying desperately to make a connection. Finally around one o’clock, the other two members of his team had wandered in.

“I mean, like, where do we even start to look?” Shawcross asked, looking helplessly at the board.

“Well...besides the Haywood suspect, there’s this guy people call The Dragon. Apparently Officer Demarais has been tracking him for awhile. He’s not really known for small time robberies, but he does seem to have a knack for disappearing.”

“So you think this two-places-at-once robbery has something to do with him? Seriously?” Kara asked, her arms crossed. Shawcross at least bought into the idea, and began to brainstorm possible locations The Dragon could be hiding at.

“Maybe somewhere up North? There’s lots of little places tucked away.” Shawcross offered.

“What about one of the old warehouses around here? One that’s abandoned?” Kara stepped in front of Kerry.

“We’ll...we’ll have to go on a field trip, I guess,” Matt sighed, blinking as he turned away from the board that he was sure had been seared into his brain.

 

* * *

 

 

“Look, boi, I said I was sorry!” Gavin insisted as he walked next to Ray, who still looked somewhat miffed. They had left Geoff’s apartment and decided to walk to the Ammu-nation a few blocks away because Ray’s car was still in the shop.

Ray seemed to have taken on a vow of silence, and Gavin was trying desperately to break it. They had walked all the way to the store before Ray uttered a single word. “Uh, yeah, can I get some ammo for the rifle...and maybe a few sticky bombs?”

Gavin watched the man pointedly look away from Gavin as he pulled out his wallet to pay, amused by the cold shoulder he was being offered.

“I’ll take some rounds for the SMG, please and thank you!” Gavin told the man behind the counter before he reached out and grabbed Ray’s arm, who had taken his items and made to walk away. “Where’re you going?”

“Home,” Ray griped, still not completely looking at Gavin. “I’m hungry.”

“Well, I’ll take you out to eat then! Come on, it’ll be a fun little bonding session!” Gavin took his ammo and slung his arm around Ray’s neck, causing him to flinch. Conceding that he could not say no to free food, they walked to a little cafe around the corner.

They sat by the window and Ray seemed to forgive Gavin as they ate. “So, who were you really before all of this?” Gavin asked through a sandwich, chewing noisily.  

“I don’t know?” Ray swallowed, “A poor kid in Los Santos? A nobody?”

“Don’t say that!” Gavin said loudly, causing a few people to look over at them. “You’re great!”

Ray grimaced, looking out at the people walking by. He could have faded in seamlessly with them, with his stained sweatshirt and ratty shoes. No one would ever look at him and see success like they would if they saw Geoff. "I don't like crime. I don't like killing people. I'm just trying to protect my family."

Gavin seemed to see that Ray did not want to talk about his family, so he switched gears. "Well, I only moved here about a year ago. Before that I lived in a crappy little place called Oxfordshire, and me and my buddy Dan would nick the tourists dumb enough to visit."

"Why'd you move here?" Ray looked at Gavin, expecting the happy-go-lucky man to be as cheery as ever. He was not prepared for Gavin's face to cloud over.

"My...buddy and I had a falling out, y'know. He...was a little too friendly with other blokes." Gavin looked away from his food.

“Oh.” Ray leaned forward with wide eyes, _“Oh.”_

“Yeah,” Gavin was blushing, but he was trying to play it off, “So I came here to the wonderful land of opportunity, and I became part of this crew.”

Ray was silent for a moment, looking down at his food. Finally, he said, “Well, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Really?” Gavin seemed to light up instantly.

“Yeah,” Ray grinned, letting out a little laugh, “You’re pretty cute.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Alright, boys, you’ve shown me your efficiency in crime, but now we’re looking at stealth. We need to get in, grab those weapons, and leave without any trace of us being there, got that?” Geoff stood in front of the four of them, holding his rifle in his hand. Gavin and Jack both jumped when Michael burst in, panting.

“Sorry, sorry! I was...at the doctor’s with Lindsay,” he said, shrugging off his jacket.

“How’s your lady bird?” Gavin asked, craning his neck so that he could see Michael.

Michael blushed, a small smile itching it’s way onto his lips, “Well...I’m gonna have a little girl…”

“What!” Gavin squawked, shooting off of the couch, “That’s fantastic!”

“Thanks,” Michael beamed, and if anyone had just met him, they’d say he was the least angry person they’d ever met.

“Congrats man,” Ray called, grinning as well. He’d never seen Michael so happy before, even though they’d only just met.

“Man, I’m happy for ya,” Jack went to shake Michael’s hand, putting his beer down.

The only one that didn’t seem happy at all was Ryan, who blurted, “Wait, you’re having a _kid?”_

“Yeah!” Michael didn’t seem to be in a fighting mood, so nobody else questioned Ryan’s tone.

“Alright, alright, fun’s over guys. We need to get moving,” Geoff said firmly, taking one last sip of his Jack and diet, “We can go baby-shopping later.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Everyone in position?” Geoff asked quietly into his earpiece. He was waiting in the large SUV, while Jack, Ryan, and Michael made their way onto the beach and Ray and Gavin stood lookout on a cliff overlooking it.

“It’s a go,” Jack said softly, looking around for the weapons.

The beach was fairly small, and not many things were on it. There was a fire pit, an old grill, and a port-o-potty, and the rest was white sand. “Are you sure its here?” Michael asked Geoff, searching for some sign of weapons.

“Just look around. Ray and Gavin, do you see anything?”

“Uh...nothing on the beach--” Ray was peering down at the crew, too distracted to notice the white van pulling down off of the road.

“Guys! Guys, someone’s here! Hide!” Gavin whisper-yelled, dropping his rifle. Jack and Ryan were both close enough to brush that they could hide behind it, but Michael was not.

“Fuck, _fuck,”_ He looked around and found only one, disgusting out. He disappeared into the port-o-potty.

“Are you sure this is really where your guy wants them?” A man with whispy black hair asked, and Ray thought he looked familiar.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” The other man there was tall and sort of lanky, but he looked like he knew what he was doing. “Look, the faster you get this done, the faster you can get back to the studio for your interview.”

That’s where Ray had known the guy from! Joel Heyman was a popular actor who lived down in South America, and he was supposed to be interviewed on Weasel News soon, something about his newest role.

The guns were unloaded in black packing containers labeled BBQ and PARTY SUPPLIES, and stacked by the grill. “Are they gone yet?” Michael whispered, trying to listen for the engine of a truck.

“No, no, stay where you are,” Ray answered quietly, watching as the two men brought down one more crate. “They’ll be gone soon.”

“It fucking stinks in here!”

Geoff tried to look back for his crew, but he couldn’t see anyone. He hoped that none of them would be stupid enough to fire their gun.

“Alright, that’s it, let’s go.” The lanky man took a sweeping look at their work to make sure everything was in place.

“Wait, wait, let me take a piss.” Joel made towards the port-o-potty, causing Ray to panic.

“Someone distract them!” Jack hissed, peering through leaves.

“Oh, Gavin!” Ray said loudly, throwing his rifle down, “I love you _so_ much!”

“What the bloody hell are you on about?” Gavin asked, confused, before Ray yanked him up and threw his arms around Gavin.

“Act like we’re a happy, teenage couple!” Ray hissed into Gavin’s ear.

“What was that?” The lanky man spat suspiciously, looking around.

Ray pulled Gavin towards the road as if he was a little bit tipsy, hurrying to get under a street light.

“Kiss me!” Gavin said quietly, glancing down at the beach.

“Wha-?”Gavin pressed his lips onto Rays, praying that it would be enough for the other men to leave.

He wasn’t prepared for Ray melting into the kiss, his hands falling down to Gavin’s waist. Gavin’s heart was beginning to pound, and he couldn’t hear the two other men anymore.

“It’s just some two dumb kids,” Joel spat, turning back to the outhouse.

“Let’s get out of here now, before someone else comes along,” The lanky man turned and strode toward the van. Joel hesitated, and then turned to follow him.

After they had started the van and pulled away, Jack burst from behind the bushes. Ray and Gavin were finally pulling apart, oblivious to the men driving by them, the lanky one making sure to look at their faces. “Michael, are you okay?”

Michael fell out of the port-o-potty, struggling for fresh air. _“That_ was fucking _close.”_

_“Too close,”_ Geoff muttered to himself, leaning down and putting his pistol back into the glove box. It felt like it was going to be a long night already.


	4. Oats In the Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oats In The Water- Ben Howard

"Alright boys, it's time for the big one. Now, you are all aware of the plan-- we go in, we get out, we go underground. We need to do a little bit of setup, and then we'll be some of the richer men in Los Santos this time next week." Geoff was looking around at his crew, feeling a bubble of  guilt welling up in his stomach as he saw how they were all listening to him reverently. "Jack and I are going to meet an old business associate to hook us up with some info that we need to get into the depository. The four others; Michael, Ray, Gavin, and Ryan, will go down into the subway and find us a secure, safe route to escape. Got it? Come back here when you’re finished."

Gavin was sitting next to Ryan, and he held his hand up as if he was back in grade school. "I wanna say something!"

"What?" Geoff pursed his lips, moving out of the way so that Gavin could speak.

Michael leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head, "This should be good."

"I just wanna say that...there's no one I'd rather being doing this heist with than you guys. You're my friends, the lot of you, and I just want you blokes to know that." Gavin looked directly at Ray, "I'm really glad that we all met."

"Geez, Gavin, you're gonna make me cry," Jack laughed, taking a sip of his beer. Ryan was watching Gavin with an odd expression on his face.

“Alright, alright, let’s go to work,” Geoff cut the sentimental session short, his fist clenched. Ryans gaze shifted to Geoff, amused by how the man would not meet his eyes. “Shit’s getting real now.”

 

* * *

 

 

Matt was utterly exhausted, having scoured the city for any sign of the man known as The Dragon. He was ready to give up, to give in and tell his superior that he’d been right all along. Matt’s head lay on his desk, an empty mug of coffee next to him. When Kara barged in, stating that they’d found a lead-- a sincere lead, Matt made no move to lift his head. “Hullum, we’re close here. We can get them.”

“You said it yourself  Eberle; that robbery was probably nothing.”

“We found a burned car on a small ridge on Chilead, and we traced it back to local two with a record downtown. Come on, get up, this isn’t over yet,” Kara tugged on his arm, “We need to get going now.”

“Fine,” Matt lifted his head and stood, “What’s these guys’ names?”

“Girls. They own a news outlet. Ashley Jenkins and Meg Turney, both of which have been tied to supporting crime in the past to drive their views.”

 

* * *

 

 

The tunnels underground were filthy, and Ray found himself kicking at trash as the five of them walked in the dim light. Gavin was talking, as he always did, and Ray was too distracted to listen closely. He was too wrapped up in the roller coaster of emotions he’d been riding lately.

Michael was engaging Gavin though, and the two were laughing and swearing to their hearts content. Gavin seemed to sense that Ray did not want to talk, so instead he was attempting to draw Ryan into the conversation. “Come on, Rye-Bread, tell us about yourself. You always seem so….so stoic.”

Ryan was silent, glancing away from Gavin and Michael. Gavin continued to pester Ryan, and finally Ryan snapped, “Why don’t you give it a rest?”

“Whoa, calm down Mr. Hostility, I just wanna get to know you. I mean, bloody hell, my life could very well be in your hands next week.” Ray’s head snapped to the right, his eyes meeting Gavin’s for the slightest of moments.

“I don’t want to know you,” Ryan murmured, shining his flashlight on the ceiling of the tunnel. Gavin did not reply, hurt. He didn’t understand why Ryan refused to warm up to them, especially since they were all in the same crew.

“You don’t have to be such a fucking dick,” Michael spat, narrowing his eyes. It was true that Gavin was annoying, but the man didn’t deserve to be treated like he was nothing. No one did.

“Excuse me?” Ryan’s eyes flashed, stopping in the middle of the track. Gavin looked anxiously between the two.

“You heard me. This whole fucking time you’ve been acting like a stuck-up shitlord, and I’m sick of it,” Michael seethed, stopping as well.

“Guys, come on--” Ray tried to get in between them, but Michael hadn’t finished.

“We’re in this together, we’re all getting the same take, so what’s your fucking problem?” Though Ryan was almost a full head taller than Michael, Michael got right up close to his face. The tension hanging in the dusty air was thick, and Gavin swallowed the lump in his throat.

To everyone’s surprise, Ryan began to laugh mirthlessly, looking up at the ceiling.

“What the hell does that mean?” Michael snapped, frustrated with the man’s cryptic communication.

Ryan’s laughter faded, and he looked Michael in the eyes, “It means you don’t know anything.”

 

* * *

 

 

The Know offices weren’t very far from the police station, and Matt and Kara arrived in fewer than ten minutes. They made their way up to the top of the building, a large and ornate suite. Another secretary greeted them, telling the two that they would have to wait until Ms. Turney or Ms. Jenkins was available.

Matt sat down in the waiting room, looking around the room. The two women must have been successful, because the furniture was all high-end and sleek. It was twenty minutes before they would see the two, so he had plenty of time to admire the upholstery.

The two women were wearing short, tight  dresses and large high heels. Meg Turney had long, black nails and he found himself intimidated. “You wanted to see us, Chief?”

Kara answered for him, “We’ve found a burned van on Mount Chilead that we’ve traced back to you two. Who did you sell it to?”

Ashley looked at Kara with a raised eyebrow, and Matt got the feeling that she was looking at Kara for a reason, but Kara looked like she’d never seen the woman before. Meg leaned forward in her seat behind the large desk, “Why would we sell a van? We’re news anchors, sweetie.”

Kara rolled her eyes and Matt leaned forward as well, “It’s tied to a...an odd robbery. We’re just trying to catch the people who did it. They killed somebody.”

Ashley nodded and spoke slowly, “We _know._ As my coworker said, we’re news anchors.”

Matt could tell they were going to make this difficult. Though he was new to this town, he’d dealt with egocentric high-ups before. Kara had told him that they valued their views, so he’d use that to his advantage. “Look, we all know you sold it to them. I’m sure you’ll both find a way around any legal ramifications, so why don’t you just tell us? You know how many views you’ll rake in with a scandal.”

Kara was looking at Matt with wide eyes, but he was confident.

Ashley and Meg shared a look and Ashley wrote something down on a piece of paper. When she was finished, Meg rose from her seat and the two of them sauntered to the door, “You seem innocent, Chief Hullum. I pity that. You don’t know the people you’re around, not really. Be careful not to let it bite you in the ass.”

“So thats it?” Kara called after them angrily, ignoring Matt, who had leaned over Meg’s desk to see what Ashley had written.

Meg laughed, “Sweetie, we told you. We’re not snitches, we’re news anchors.”

They let the heavy door swing shut behind them, and Kara turned back to Matt, fuming. He was standing triumphantly with a sticky note in his hands. “It says “A partner of Charon Industries.”! We can get ‘em now!”

Kara sighed, standing as well, “There’s more than one. We’ll have to bring them all in.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Why the fuck would I help you two?” Gus Sorola sat before Geoff and Jack, his lanky body slumped in his chair.

“For old time’s sake?” Jack offered, his elbows on his knees and his fingers threading through his beard.

 _“Old time’s sake?”_ Gus scoffed, rolling his eyes, “You don’t even know my dog’s name. We haven’t seen each other in almost two years-- even longer for you, Jack. Now you want my help to pull off some grandiose heist?”

Geoff’s hand was over his mouth, rubbing his face. He finally sighed and leaned forward as well, “You’ll do it for money, Gus.”

“What money?” Gus laughed sarcastically, “You’re pretty close to broke, amigo. Even I know that.”

“What?” Jack looked at Geoff with confusion, but Geoff was looking at Gus with determination.

“Not after this heist. Come on man, couldn’t you use an extra half million lying around? You can buy Esther something pretty.”

“Geoff, can’t you see this plan of yours is crazy? You’re going to die over some money you and I both know you could swindle in a month. What’s the point?” Gus seemed to be sincere now, meeting Geoff’s eyes.

Geoff stared back at him and then quietly murmured, “I’m going to die if I don’t get that money Gus.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Jack looked from Geoff to Gus, horribly confused.

Geoff looked at Jack, his eyes shining, “They’re going to kill me if I can’t get that money, Jack. I _need_ your help, Gus.”

Gus was silent for a few minutes and eventually he reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a file. The manila folder was thickly stacked with white papers, and Jack was too stunned to move. Geoff, however, stood and grabbed the folder, nodding to Gus. Jack reluctantly followed Geoff to the door, pausing when Gus called after them, “Try not to die, idiots.”

 

The car was silent on the way back to Geoff’s apartment, Jack staring out of the window and Geoff staring straight ahead. He figured that the others would be back at the apartment by now with the escape route, and then everything would be settled. Then...then what? Geoff felt sick to his stomach.

“Were you ever going to tell us?” Jack asked, watching the shrubbery blur past. “Or were you just gonna let us find out when you were dead if the heist was botched?”

“Jack...it’s not like that,” Geoff gripped the steering wheel with both hands. His knuckles were white and his eyes were tight.

“Then what is it like Geoff? Because obviously I don’t know!” Jack burst, sending a heated look to Geoff. “I’ve known you for sixteen years, man. I’ve done a bunch of jobs with you. This crew-- our crew, it can’t work if you’re keeping things from us.”

“I’m sorry, Jack! Okay? Okay?” Geoff pulled into his garage, slamming the car into park. He was going to throw up. “God, let’s-- let’s just get upstairs. I don’t want to fight.”

Geoff took the stairs to the elevator two at a time, Jack stewing behind him. His door was unlocked so that the others could get in without him being there and he swung it open, ready to take a deep breath of home.

He was hit in the face by a balled fist.

“You fuck! You fucking _fuck!_ We _trusted_ you!” Michael was shouting, pulling Geoff into the apartment by his shirt. He slammed the man into the wall, ignoring Gavin’s cries to let him go. Jack pulled them apart, demanding to know what the hell Michael was doing.

Geoff was gasping for breath, and Michael was red in the face. He pointed an accusing finger at Geoff, “He hired Ryan to _kill_ us! Did you know that, Jack? Geoff was going to fucking take us out after the heist and split it with you two!” Michael was shaking.

Gavin was standing behind Michael, his face fallen and desperately looking for Geoff to tell him it wasn’t true. The man only hung his head. Ray put his hand on Michael’s shoulder, and the man took deep breaths. Jack was staring at Geoff in horror, and though he was trying his hardest not to believe it, he knew deep down it was true.

“We...we trusted you, you piece of shit,” Michael’s voice was weak. “We were gonna get the take of a lifetime with you!”

“He’s right,” Gavin sounded broken and Ray looked back at him sadly, “I meant what I said earlier, and-- and I still do, but....”

Jack was still standing at the door, torn in every direction. He looked at Ryan, who was leaning back against the wall, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“It’s my job,” he shrugged, “I...I didn’t plan on….I’m not in the business of ruining families.”

“I’m sorry,” Geoff croaked, “Look, I didn’t think we’d...I didn’t think that I’d get so close to you guys. I was desperate.”

“Fuck you,” Michael spat, snatching the file off of the floor where it had fallen when Geoff had been pushed back. “We don’t need you.”

Michael pushed past Jack, and Gavin watched him go with wide eyes. After a moment he stepped forward, taking Ray’s hand and avoiding Geoff, “Let’s go.”

Ryan followed after them, giving Jack a sympathetic look. “Geoff,” Jack’s voice broke, “That was really shitty, I...I don’t even know what to say.” Jack paused, his hand on the doorknob, “I thought I knew you.”

The door clicked shut with an air of finality, and Geoff slid to the ground, his head in his hands. God, how had it gotten to be so wrong? He wished he could have gone back to the beginning to stop this train wreck before it left the station.

Someone knocked on the door and Geoff looked up hopefully. Griffon was still out of town, so it had to be one of the guys coming back. It had to be. He stood shakily and opened the door, and was faced with three blonde police officers.

“Geoff  Ramsey? You’re coming with us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :-)


	5. I'm So Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm So Sorry- Imagine Dragons

It was damp and cold outside, and the yellow light from Hideaway Pizza was seeping onto the streets. Five men were sat around one of the greasy tables, their faces all drawn and tired. “What now?” The man in the purple in the sweatshirt asked, looking to someone he’d come to consider a friend.

“We go through with the heist,” The man spat back, his fist clenched, “I told you, we don’t need him.”

“You’re ‘aving a laugh,” Said one of the five, his thick accent becoming stronger in his fatigue. He was emotionally and physically drained.

“No, I’m not,” The angry man flexed his fingers, “We can do it. The five of us.”

“You still want me with you guys?”’ A different man asked incredulously, raising his eyebrows. He had been hired to kill them, after all.

“You were just doing your job,” A man with a large, read beard murmured, his eyes turned down. The only thing he knew for sure was that this wasn’t a dream. Someone he’d known for almost twenty years had betrayed the crew he’d started. What kind of fucked up shit was that?

“So it’s settled,” Michael let his fist unclench, spreading his fingers up into the air, “We go on as planned.”

 

* * *

 

The station was eerie without all the usual people there. A few people here and they were still working, but many were gone for the day. Matt’s team was waiting for him outside of interrogation room A. Kerry looked tired, but he greeted Matt cheerily all the same, and Kara looked ready to go in for the kill. Matt pushed open the door, no clue what to expect on the other side. Kara had suggested that they question this man first. The partner sported dark circles under his eyes and a handlebar mustache that seemed to be drooping. The man was slumped in the seat and he was staring at the corner of the room, a far off look in his eyes.

“Mr. Ramsey, right?” Matt asked, smiling genially at the man despite the hour. “Do you know why you’re here?”

Geoff's eyes slid to Matt's and his smirk was vicious, "Cause karmas a bitch?"

"You're a partner of Charon Industries, Mr. Ramsey," Kerry said, sliding a manilla folder to Geoff. It was filled with pictures of both crime scenes and the torched van. "We've linked a van used in a murder to a partner of Charon Industries. Now, we've already interviewed your...colleagues, and they all pointed fingers at you, Mr. Ramsey." Kerry was lying, of course, and Matt glanced at him. Matt knew that this couldn't be all nice and clean, but it made him uncomfortable. He needn't have worried though, because Geoff saw right through it.

Geoff leaned forward, "You know this is Los Santos, right? Not a fucking episode of NCIS?"

Matt decided to take charge, seeing that this man was going to be difficult. "Look, Mr. Ramsey, if you just tell us what you know-- about any of this, then things'll be a lot easier."

Geoff shrugged, "You might as well call me Jon Snow."

Kerry laughed, and Matt sent him a look. Kara didn't even crack a smile from her spot in the corner. They continued to press Geoff, but he wouldn't budge. Finally, at the end of his wit, Matt slammed his fist down onto the table, "Why won't you just answer the damn questions?"

Geoff looked Matt straight in the eye, any veneer of clueless suspect dropping, “Because I’m dead already.”

“What?” Kerry’s brows furrowed, “What does that mean?”

“It means you should just give up now. This isn’t going to go anywhere.” Geoff sent Matt a sugary grin, and Matt clenched his fist in anger. The urge to punch the sadsack right in his mouth was becoming too much to ignore. Matt would have believed the man if he had acted innocent from the beginning, instead of acting like he knew something they didn’t. He didn’t trust the man.

“Listen--” Matt was beginning to speak when Kara cut him off, speaking for the first time.

“Why don’t you take a break, Matt? Go get some coffee, I’ll watch him. He’s obviously not gonna crack anytime soon.”

Matt nodded reluctantly, and stood, tossing a look of disgust at Geoff. Geoff sighed, watching them leave. The kid had initiative, but his heart was in the wrong place. And his body, come to think of it.

Kara slammed her hands on the table, jerking Geoff's attention to her. "Where's your crew?"

"Huh?" Geoff was genuinely puzzled. The other two had asked nothing about a crew, just the damn van.

"Cut the shit, Ramsey. We know it was you who took our toys, and we _really_ wanted to play with them. Now we're going to take something of yours." Kara's eyes were narrow, and Geoff mirrored her expression.

"They're not my crew anymore, and I will _never_   tell you anything about them. I owe them that much, bitch,” Geoff spat at her, his eyes narrowing. He should have known that Kdin wouldn’t have let him get away.

Kara pulled back, her icy features settling into a satisfied smirk, “That was just a courtesy, Ramsey. We’ve been tagging y’all for awhile now. We’ll find them. _He’ll_ find them, and he’ll rip them apart. We own this city, which means they’ll all be dead by morning.”

Geoff’s eyes were wide. He hoped to God that Griffon would not return, and he hoped that they would not return to the apartment. It was all his fault, and they were all going to pay.

Kara laughed at his distress-- a sharp, biting sound that cut through Geoff. She made towards the door, but Geoff called after her, his voice cracking, “Wait! How did you....how did you even know about me, us?”

The small blonde woman tilted her head and she murmured, “Your time is up, Mr. Ramsey. Midnight marks three weeks, and Mr. Burns is not happy.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gavin was staying at Ray’s tiny apartment for the night, since his previous dwelling was also housing the man who had betrayed them all. Gavin was doing a good job pushing the pulsing pain out of his chest, playing Halo with Ray on the man’s old and battered Xbox. Ray was amazing, and Gavin found himself stepping back half of the time just to admire the sheer amount of kills the man could get. This probably also had to do with the amount of alcohol Gavin was drinking in to aid his mind in blurring out the past day.

Finally, when it was almost two in the morning, both of them were reclining on the couch, and the Xbox had powered down. “I guess we have to talk about it,” Ray murmured, and Gavin closed his eyes.

“About?” Denial was the first stage of grief, after all, and Gavin was no stranger to grief.

Ray swallowed the lump in his throat and said softly, “We kissed.”

“Ah,” Gavin was too tired to think. The past three weeks had been some of the best of his life, and had very quickly turned into one of the worst, “That.”

“I’ve never been into a guy before,” Ray mused, staring at his speckled ceiling.

Gavin squeezed his eyes shut further, his chest begging for all of the heartbreak to end. “Are you now?”

Ray was quiet for a moment, and Gavin thought he was going to cry. It had been such a long day. Finally, Ray spoke firmly, “Yeah.”

Gavin was still almost crying, but it was out of relief this time. He opened his eyes, looking at Ray-- fuzzily outlined Ray. “I guess we’d better go on a proper date then.”

“Yeah?” Ray choked out, his chest constricting, “When?”

“After the heist!” Gavin grinned, “When we’ve got the take of a lifetime!”

They both laughed, but it sounded strangled. Ray hesitantly leaned over to Gavin, catching his breath and kissing his cheek, “I guess that’s it then.”

“I guess it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter, because this was supposed to be the "last chapter" and the next would be the epilogue, but I decided to make the last chapter the actual last one. Comments?


	6. O Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> O Children | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

_Pass me that lovely little gun_

_My dear, my darling one_

_The cleaners are coming, one by one_

_You don't even want to let them start_

“Everybody know what they’re doing?” Michael stood in front of the others, his finger outstretched to the final point on the map.

“We’re goin’ for the take of a lifetime!” Gavin hollered, jumping up from his seat. Ray laughed, but the words instilled a sense of dread in him, like they were a jinx.

“Shut the fuck up, Gavin,” Michael turned to Ryan and Jack, letting his finger fall from the marker, “Ryan, do you really have to wear that face paint? It’s fucking creepy.”

“It’s double protection,” the man shrugged, “in case my mask gets ripped off.”

Jack rolled his eyes and stood, “I think it’s time, guys. Let’s suit up.”

Michael passed Jack the new SMG he’d purchased for the man, and Ray stood to collect his own weapons. They did so in silence, each acutely aware of the absence of the man who had led them-- who had betrayed them.

“Don’t forget armor-- we don’t want any stray bullets taking us out,” Ryan reached into a box under the table and handed out the vests.

Once they had gathered all of their supplies; weapons, ammo, armor, masks, they headed for the door. Only Michael stayed behind, pausing at the yellow note-pad on Jack’s counter. If one or none of them made it, someone would deliver it eventually.

Lindsay,

I want you to know that I love you and our baby more than anything, and I want to thank you. You made me better, better than I ever could have thought. If I don’t ~~make it~~ come home, please know that everything I have done-- it’s for you. And I wouldn’t change anything for one second.

I love you,

Michael

 

* * *

 

 

“I want my phone call! Or a lawyer! I want to call my lawyer!” Geoff had been shouting the same thing for the past hour. He knew that Matt was watching him on the other side of the glass, and his resolve was wavering as each minute ticked by. His poor fools had no idea what they’d be walking into, and it was going to be all his fault. Their blood would be on his hands. He needed to warn them-- to stop them, if possible. Geoff doubted they’d believe him.

“I’ll tell you everything! God, what does it take for--” The door flew open with a bang, and Matt strode in with Kerry. Kara seemed to be missing, and Geoff’s heart began to pound.

Matt sat down across from Geoff as if he had all the time in the world, “What would you like to tell us, Mr. Ramsey?”

“You need to let me use a phone. After that, I’ll tell you about whatever you want to know, okay?” Geoff glanced anxiously around the room. “Where’s the blonde?”

“She went home,” Kerry shrugged, “and why would we let you use a phone?”

Geoff paused, weighing his options. Finally he let out a deep breath, “Because I need to-- to talk to someone. To warn them.”

“About?” Matt asked lazily, letting his fingers drum onto the table. Geoff knew he was trying to provoke him, to make him angry, and he let it work anyway.

“I don’t have _time_ for this!” Geoff slammed his fists on the table. It was probably eight o’clock now and the guys would have either started the heist or be alone and vulnerable.

“Mr. Ramsey, all you have in here is time,” Kerry smiled at the man, practically inviting Geoff to punch his face.

 _“They_ don’t have time for this! She’s going to _kill_ them!” Geoff’s voice cracked, and he saw Matt’s eyes widen.

“What are you talking about?”

“The blonde co-worker of yours, Kdin, it doesn’t matter. It’s all the same,” Geoff croaked, “Please, this is my fault-- _not theirs.”_

 

* * *

 

 

_They are knocking now upon your door_

_They measure the room, they know the score_

_They're mopping up the butcher's floor_

_Of your broken little hearts_

* * *

 

The two buses collided with each other, Gavin and Jack rocking in their seats. “They’re in place!” Gavin shouted into his earpiece, “Go, go, go! It’s blocked off!”

“Roger!” Michael and Ryan burst open the doors to the bank and began to shout at the tired people inside. “Get down, get down now!”

Ryan took out the two visible security guards and made his way up to the teller’s window, unloading into it until it shattered. He hopped over the counter, pointing to the terrified teller, “Give me all you’ve got-- and if you pull anything, I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

Michael rounded up all of the people into a group and kept his gun trained on them. He pressed his finger to his ear, “Ray, what’s our status?”

Ray peered down his scope, sweeping the rifle across the streets below him. He was set up across from the bank, and had a perfect view of the corner-- from the V-shaped bus barricade, to the traffic jam it caused. He had watched Jack jump onto a vehicle and drive around the other corner to retrieve the cargobob that would pick up one of the buses to let the others out to escape, and his eyes were trained on Gavin now. “All clear so far. Don’t hear sirens yet, but they’ll be coming.”

“Good, good,” Michael muttered, and then turned back to his group, “Listen guys, I don’t want to hurt you, alright? Bears only maul people when provoked,” He pointed to his mask, and then to Ryan, “But he doesn’t need any provocation, alright? So just sit tight.”

The three tellers were sobbing as they piled money into the duffel bags Michael and Ryan had brought. “Wait,” Ryan stopped them, and they all looked at him fearfully, “I saw that. Did you think I wouldn’t see you put a dye pack in? You are going to die, sir.” Ryan painted the glass with the man’s brains, causing Michael’s group to scream.

“Everything okay, Ryan?” Michael turned away from the group again.

“Pefrect,” Ryan answered, “Just, uh, pruning the bushes, you know how it is.”

“Jesus,” Michael muttered before Ray’s voice erupted in his ear.

“Uh, guys, there’s some people rolling up in black SUVS, hurry up! They don’t look like cops, but they look pretty nasty!”

 

* * *

 

 

_Forgive us now for what we've done_

_It started out as a bit of fun_

_Here, take these before we run away_

_The keys to the gulag_

 

* * *

 

 

“Chief, we’ve got report of a robbery at Jerico Bank, shots heard.” A skinny man had burst into the interrogation room and Geoff started, looking with wide eyes at Kerry.

Matt paid no attention to Geoff and instead began to bark out orders. When the skinny man closed the door, Geoff exclaimed, “Come on, I still have a chance to help them! Please!”

“You’re going to stay right here,” Matt glared at the man, “I’m going to do what needs to be done to rid this town of your nuisances, and then we’ll talk. Let’s go, Kerry.”

Geoff felt a sob clawing it’s way up his throat as the door slammed shut. They were going to die, all because of him. Michael’s daughter would lose her father because of him. Jack’s wife, Caiti, would never see him again. They were being punished for Geoff’s mistakes.

He let out a shaky breath, resigned to his failure until he heard a soft buzzing. Geoff wiggled around until he could see under the table and spotted Kerry’s cellphone in the center of his chair. He grinned.

 

* * *

 

 

_Here comes Frank and poor old Jim_

_They're gathering round with all my friends_

_We're older now, the light is dim_

_And you are only just beginning_

* * *

 

“Let’s go, let’s go! Gav needs help!” Michael and Ryan shouldered the bags and burst back out of the doors, quickly taking cover by the columns that decorated the bank. “Gav, get to the van! We’ll cover you!”

Michael began to shoot in a flurry at anyone else who had a gun, and somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that most of the people had purple bandannas covering the bottom of their face instead of blue uniforms. He could hear Ray’s shots every few seconds, or as quick as it took him to reload and aim.

“Jack, Jack where are you?” Gavin shouted as he started the van, scanning the sky in a frenzy.

“I’m coming! The police are in the air, Ray I need some help!” Jack shouted back, gliding to the side as a police chopper tried to level with him.

“Got it!” Ray answered, looking for Jack and the chopper in the sky. He took a deep breath and aimed, waiting a second before he shot at the pilot. He missed, and the chopper swerved, aware of his presence now. Ray took another shot, and this time waited with baited breath as the helicopter began to spin out of control as it descended towards the ground.

The police were beginning to swarm in, and Ray could see a speeding van flying into the mix. It swerved as the driver hit the brake, and the two back doors opened. Loud bullets began to spray from the rotary cannon inside it, and police and gang member alike were being mowed down.

“Who the hell is that?” Michael shouted, throwing Ryan a confused look.

“Just get down!” Ryan answered, using the column to shield himself from the bullets.

After a minute or two, the firing stopped and a bald man with sharp cheekbones poked his head out, “That’s from Geoff!”

“Shannon?” Jack called down in confusion, “What the hell?”

“It doesn’t matter lets go!” Gavin shouted, “We’re clear!”

Michael hopped into the driver’s seat as Gavin slid into the passenger seat. Ryan climbed into the back, leaving the door open for Ray. Ray made to get up and get his gear to run down to the street and get to them. Just as he stood, he saw the brigade of destruction heading their way. There was no way that he could make it down there before the police would make it there, trapping them all in the van. “Ray! Ray, come on!”

“I…” he looked down at the rocket launcher, the SMG, and the sniper rifle at his feet. He didn’t have a choice. “Just go! They’re coming!”

“What?” Michael spat, “Ray, we’re not leaving you! Let’s go!”

“There’s no choice! Michael, you have to get out of here!” Ray picked up the sniper rifle, holding the heavy gun in his hands. “Just...name the baby after me or something, okay? Just go!”

“Ray, we’re not leaving you!” Gavin cried, “Michael, wait, wait, we can’t--”

“We won’t be able to make it, Gavin!” Ryan shouted, “Michael, gun it!”

“Ray!” Gavin was struggling to get out of his seat, “Ray, don’t do this! What about our date?”

Michael could see Jack hovering above, trying to hook up to the bus. The didn’t have much time left. He could feel the ball rising in his throat.

“I...I’m gonna have to take a rain-check, Gav…” They could all hear his voice breaking, even over the static. “Just do-- do me a favor, okay? Give some of that money to my mom. Don’t spend the take of a lifetime all in one place, okay?”

“Ray,” Gavin was crying, and he didn’t care how cheesy it sounded. “You’re the take of a lifetime.”

“Gav…”

“You sure, Ray?” Jack finally asked, his own voice gruff.

“Yeah, buddy.” The bus was lifted and Michael gunned it. Gavin stumbled to the back of the van, watching the figure on the roof as he distracted the police. He was doing fairly well, even though he looked somewhat desperate. “Don’t forget me, guys.”

“We’ll _never_ fucking forget you, boi,” Michael blinked through his tears, searching for the turn they needed to take.

Gavin’s breath left him as he watched the figure get hit and then sway, falling from the roof. “God, no, no, no....” Gavin sobbed, the silence that Ray left behind almost deafening.

 

* * *

 

 

_We have the answer to all your fears_

_It's short, it's simple, it's crystal clear_

_It's round about and it's somewhere here_

_Lost amongst our winnings_

_The cleaners have done their job on you_

_They're hip to it, man, they're in the groove_

_They've hosed you down, you're good as new_

_They're lining up to inspect you_

_Poor old Jim's white as a ghost_

_He's found the answer that we lost_

_We're all weeping now, weeping because_

_There ain't nothing we can do to protect you._

 

* * *

 

 

The carnage of the massacre at 636 Austin Street was the talk of the city for a day or two at least. Five men had enacted a heist, and only four had escaped. Dozens of bodies littered the streets, names including Officer Kara Eberle, Officer Steffie Hardy, Caleb Denecour, Jason Saldana, and Ray Narvaez Jr. His body had been identified by his mother, and his other teammates remained at large.

Geoff Ramsey had been released from the precinct for lack of evidence, and he had gone home with a heavy heart. He hoped that the others were safe, and that his body would be found quickly.

The lock on his front door had been broken, and he was only a little surprised they had gotten to him this quick. He walked in to find a man leaning against the counter with an open bottle of whiskey next to him. “What are you doing here, Michael?”

“I came to tell you that you’re not going to die, you piece of shit.” Michael wasn’t quite sure how angry he was at Geoff. “Your ass is safe, Jack made sure of it. He’s a long way from here now though, down under, I heard.”

“I…” He deserved to die. Geoff would do anything to trade Ray’s life for his own.

“I don’t want to hear it. As far as I’m concerned, you should be going in the ground tomorrow instead of Ray, but the others...the others are a bit more undecided. Fuck knows why Gavin would ever be able to forgive you...I don’t think I can.” Michael’s fingers closed around the neck of the bottle and he leaned forward.

He pushed past Geoff, and made his way to the door he’d broken down. He needed to buy a nice suit for tomorrow, and then he needed to begin looking for more baby equipment. Geoff called back to him, “Michael...why-- why would you all do this?”

When Michael turned back around, his voice was coarse and his fist was clenched, “Because Ray sacrificed himself so no one else would have to die.”

  
  


_Hey little train! Wait for me!_

_I was held in chains but now I'm free_

_I'm hanging in there, don't you see_

_ In this process of elimination. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole reason I wrote this fic was because of this song, which is why its included in the final chapter. Originally, Geoff was going to die after being found out, but then Ray left AH and the opportunity presented itself. I hope you enjoyed this at least a little bit, since it's almost a year old now.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm actually really proud of this fic!! i love the concept and im excited to write this, especially to write pregnant!lindsay. my aim is to post a chapter every other week, but we'll see. i want them to be about 3k each chapter. the chapter names are all based on songs that i listened to while writing it, so maybe give them a listen while reading? anyways if you enjoyed please, please leave a comment or kudos!! thank you!!
> 
> Come With Me Now | KONGOS


End file.
